Spanish government pardons Catalan separatist leaders

The Spanish government on Tuesday pardoned nine Catalan separatist leaders convicted of holding the 2017 Catalan independence referendum. In this way, the government is trying to break the political stalemate that has developed between Madrid and Barcelona.

The decision to pardon nine Catalan leaders in prison was taken at a government meeting chaired by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Tuesday. Although the date of the release of the pardoned is not yet known, the media report that the justice system has been tasked with settling all proceedings as soon as possible.

A Spanish court had found Catalan leaders guilty of rioting and sentenced them to severe sentences ranging from nine to 13 years in prison.

For Sanchez, the decision to pardon Catalan separatists is politically risky, but he has hoped the pardon will pave the way for a “settlement”. But the right-wing opposition is strongly opposed to pardon. On the streets of the Spanish capital Madrid thousands of people have recently leftto protest against Sanchez’s socialist government’s plans to pardon Catalan separatist leaders.

The Spanish government’s decision has also been criticized by Catalan separatists. Many supporters of Catalan independence see pardon as a political manipulation and demand the full amnesty of convicts, which would also allow Catalan leaders abroad to return home.

CONTEXT:

The Government of Catalonia hosted in October 2017 independence referendum despite a ban by the Spanish government and a court ruling that it is unconstitutional. Later in October, the Parliament of Catalonia declared independence, to which Madrid replied by introducing direct management over the Autonomous Community and dismissing the government of the then Prime Minister of Catalonia, Karl Puddemon.

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